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거대 화장품과 기업 윤리

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/magazine-zone/english-language-day

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Listen to Emily talking about the importance of managing her stress levels and the techniques she uses.

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https://hbr.org/2025/05/fixing-chatbots-requires-psychology-not-technology

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When a vampire visits a happy young couple, will true love save their lives?

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Beating stress

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Listen to Emily talking about the importance of managing her stress levels and the techniques she uses.

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/audio-zone/marathon-running

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The earth hour

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What is Earth Hour?

Every year, in late March, people and institutions come together to switch off all non-essential lights for sixty minutes at 8.30 p.m. local time. They do this to show their support for the fight against the climate crisis and loss of biodiversity. Millions of people all around the world join in, as do governments, businesses and institutions. By switching off their lights and measuring the reduction in the amount of energy that is being used, people are showing that it is possible to make a difference.

But Earth Hour is more than one hour without lights, once a year. It's part of a movement of people who are working together all year round to protect the environment.

How did it start?

The World Wide Fund for Nature in Australia introduced the idea in 2007. They wanted to find a way to raise awareness about climate change. And they wanted to show that when millions of individuals work together, they can make a difference.

The first Earth Hour was held on 31 March 2007 at 7.30 p.m. in Sydney. More than two million residents and 2,000 businesses turned their lights out for one hour. The lights also went out on the famous Sydney Opera House. The people of the city of San Francisco were so inspired by the event in Sydney that they held their own 'Lights Out' event in October of the same year. This was the beginning of the Earth Hour movement.

How many cities take part?

The event has grown over the years, with more and more people, businesses, organisations and governments taking part every year.

In 2008, a year after the first Earth Hour event, 35 countries and more than 400 cities joined in. Websites also took part, turning their homepages black in support of the initiative. By 2012, 152 countries and more than 7,000 cities and towns were taking part. In recent years, the numbers have kept increasing, with more than 188 countries and territories worldwide taking part each year. In 2019, more than two billion photos were shared on social media platforms.

Famous people and famous places

A number of celebrities have put their names to the cause, including singer Ellie Goulding, tennis star Andy Murray, TV host Ellen de Generes, actor Leonardo di Caprio and ex-Beatle Paul McCartney. Politicians and world leaders have also given their support, and thousands of famous landmarks have turned off their lights, including the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Empire State Building in New York and the Pyramids in Egypt.

What has the movement achieved?

The Earth Hour movement has achieved much more than getting people to turn off their lights. Since 2007, among other actions, they have planted trees in various countries around the world, including a 2,700 hectare forest in Uganda and 17 million trees in Kazakhstan. They worked together to ban the use of plastics on the islands of the Galapagos, one of the most important nature reserves on the planet. And they have sponsored solar power projects in India and the Philippines.

What can I do?

Join the movement. Find out the date and time for this year. Visit the Earth Hour website and find out what's going on. Then get ready to turn off your lights and join the millions of other people around the world who are fighting to save our planet!

Note for 2020

If you plan to take part in the Earth Hour event this year, please keep up to date with the latest advice: https://www.earthhour.org/faqs#covid

Sources:

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Every year, in late March, people and institutions come together to switch off all non-essential lights for sixty minutes at 8.30 p.m. local time. They do this to show their support for the fight against the climate crisis and loss of biodiversity. Millions of people all around the world join in, as do governments, businesses and institutions.

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/video-zone/can-eating-fruit-be-bad-you

제목: Can eating fruit be bad for you?

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Listen to Jordan talking about music and how social media has changed the way we discover new bands.

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Korea will no longer require international arrivals ― both Korean and foreign nationals ― to fill out customs forms starting in May if they are not carrying dutiable goods, the Korea Customs Service (KCS) said Thursday.
한국은 5월부터 한국인과 외국인을 포함한 외국인 입국자들이 관세 부과 물품을 소지하지 않을 경우 더 이상 세관신고서(휴대품 신고서) 작성을 요구하지 않을 것이라고 목요일 관세청이 발표했다.

The customs agency said the plan was initially scheduled to be implemented in July but will be brought forward by two months in line with the government's strategy to spur domestic spending.
관세청은 이 계획이 당초 7월에 시행될 예정이었으나 국내 소비를 활성화하려는 정부의 전략에 따라 2개월 앞당겨질 것이라고 밝혔다.

Announced on Wednesday, the strategy is aimed at increasing the number of international tourists, aiming to hit 10 million this year, and boosting consumption weakened by persistently high inflation.
수요일 발표된 이 전략은 올해 1천만 명을 목표로 외국인 관광객 수를 늘리고 지속적인 높은 인플레이션으로 약화된 소비를 활성화하는 것을 목표로 하고 있다.

With eased restrictions on international travel, the government wants foreign travelers to come and spend money here in a bid to revitalize the ailing economy without causing further price increases.
해외 여행에 대한 규제가 완화됨에 따라 정부는 더 이상의 물가 인상 없이 침체된 경제를 활성화하기 위해 외국인 여행객들이 한국에 와서 돈을 소비하기를 원하고 있다.

Under the circumstances, filling out a mandatory customs declaration form on arrival was considered an obstacle for tourists, which if removed could boost tourism, the KCS explained.
이러한 상황에서 입국 시 의무적인 세관신고서를 작성하는 것이 관광객들에게 걸림돌로 여겨져 이를 없앨 경우 관광 활성화에 도움이 될 수 있을 것이라고 관세청은 밝혔다.

It noted that 98.8 percent of the total 43.56 million international arrivals in 2019, including 16.55 foreign nationals, reported that they had no dutiable goods to declare.
관세청은 지난 2019년 외국인 1665만명을 포함해 전체 4356만 명의 해외 입국자 중 98.8퍼센트가 신고대상 물품이 없었다고 전했다.

In particular, 99.93 percent of the foreign nationals reported having nothing to declare.
특히 99.93퍼센트의 외국인들이 신고대상 물품이 없었다고 밝혔다.

"Correspondingly we have been recommended to scrap the current customs declaration policy for the convenience of international visitors," the KCS said, adding the United States and multiple EU member countries have been asking international arrivals to fill out customs forms only when they have dutiable goods.
관세청은 "이에 따라 국제 방문객들의 편의를 위해 현재의 세관 신고 정책을 폐기할 것을 권고 받았다"며 미국과 다수의 EU 회원국들은 신고대상 물품이 있을 경우에만 국제항공편 승객들에게 세관신고서 작성을 요구해 왔다고 덧붙였다.

"We will make sure that foreign travelers can enter the country as conveniently as possible while being strict on any attempts to bring in illegal goods or evade tax," the KCS said.
관세청은 "외국인 여행객들이 불법 물품을 반입하거나 탈세하려는 시도를 엄격하게 하는 한편 가능한 한 편리하게 입국할 수 있도록 할 것"이라고 밝혔다.

Those who have dutiable goods meanwhile will need to fill out a customs declaration form on paper or via mobile phone.
신고 대상 물품을 소지한 사람들은 종이 또는 휴대폰으로 세관신고서를 작성해야 한다.

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What is International Mother Earth Day?

It's a special celebration that brings together people from around the world to remember that planet Earth is our home and we want to live in harmony with nature. We are all responsible for protecting our planet and looking after all the species that live here. April 22 was first established by the UN as International Mother Earth Day in 2009, joining groups that had previously celebrated Earth Day on the same date. The UN website explains that the idea of 'Mother Earth' is used because it 'reflects the interdependence that exists among human beings, other living species and the planet we all inhabit'.

Why is it important?

On this day, environmental organisations from all over the world come together to highlight the urgent need to protect the many ecosystems that make up our environment. These ecosystems are under attack from climate change and the natural disasters caused by rising temperatures: forest fires, floods and terrible storms. More than a million animal and plant species are in danger of extinction through loss of habitat, mainly due to human activity. This, in turn, is leading to outbreaks of deadly diseases that spread from wildlife to humans. On International Mother Earth Day, environmentalists call for action to reverse this damage.

How did it start?

The first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970 in the USA after a decade of local protests about air and water pollution in the United States. In 1969, people were angry about a terrible oil spill in Santa Barbara, California, and the damage it caused. US Senator Gaylord Nelson called for a national 'teach-in', bringing together students and teachers to discuss key issues of pollution and conservation.

On 22 April 1970, 20 million people, approximately ten per cent of the total population of the States at the time, joined the 'teach-in' and met in streets, parks and universities across the land to call for a healthy, clean, sustainable environment. Some people think of that day as the birth of the modern environmental movement.

Twenty years later, in 1990, Earth Day went global. More than 200 million people in 141 countries came together to call for environmental issues to be discussed on the world stage. In 1995, Senator Nelson was given an award for his work for the environment.

Today more than one billion people all over the world come together each year to celebrate International Mother Earth Day and remind politicians that action needs to be taken to move towards a more sustainable way of life that works for both people and the planet.

Discussion

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It's a special celebration that brings together people from around the world to remember that planet Earth is our home and we want to live in harmony with nature. We are all responsible for protecting our planet and looking after all the species that live here.

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water

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What is Earth Day, when is it and what has it achieved?

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The worldwide event aims to raise awareness about the need to protect the environment.

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Every year in November, people look for bargains on Black Friday. But did you know that the same day is also Buy Nothing Day?

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Every year in November, people look for bargains on Black Friday. But did you know that the same day is also Buy Nothing Day?

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/video-zone/wheelchair-costumes-turn-kids-superheroes

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Bumblebees enjoy playing with balls, according to study – BBC News

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world-kindness-day

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https://naver.me/xktVspwl

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How one family's love for the land became an iconic festival

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Glastonbury was a small music festival when it started in the 1970s. Nowadays thousands of people attend, and that means there's a lot of waste! Watch the video to find out how the organisers are dealing with this issue.

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Four tips for success for women in business

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So my next tip is to wear trainers. I think it's a brilliant way to fit in exercise without going to the gym. And it's a brilliant way to catch up if you're running late. I mean, there's also another part of this, so don't feel, as a woman in business, you have to, you know, spend hours on your appearance.

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In 2016, the UN declared 11 February as International Day of Women and Girls in Science. The main reason for this declaration was to encourage more girls and women to take up jobs in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (also known as the STEM subjects). Figures show that although there is no significant difference in ability between boys and girls in maths and science, less than 35 per cent of graduates in STEM subjects worldwide are women and there are even fewer in engineering and information technology.

Why is it important to involve more women and girls in science?

When one group of people dominates a field of study, whether it's an age group, a cultural group or a gender, there is danger of creating a narrow view of the subject. Including more women in male-dominated areas will bring in fresh points of view, new talent and creativity. It can also help increase women's social and financial position in some countries.

Why aren't more girls taking up careers in STEM subjects?

This is a difficult and complicated question. A number of answers have been suggested.

Early years
Some suggest that girls have less experience of activities and toys that encourage an interest in science. Others suggest that girls are more critical of their abilities and tend to underestimate themselves, so they might not think they're 'good enough' to study a STEM subject at university.

Making choices at school
Studies found that girls' test results in science subjects were as good as boys'. But since they often also do well in other subjects, girls have more choices when deciding what to study. This has an obvious influence on their future choice in jobs.

Entering the world of work
Another factor could be the fact that the thought of being one of a small minority on a university course, or in a job, may discourage girls from preparing for a career in research or engineering. There is a common fear that if you are in a minority, you will suffer discrimination and you will need to work much harder in order to succeed.

What can be done to encourage girls to take up science as a career?

There are a number of things that can be done to encourage girls to consider a career in science.

Early years
Parents and schools can introduce all children - boys and girls - to activities and toys that encourage them to build and make things and get them interested in exploring the world around them and how it works.

Making choices at school
A number of organisations send women scientists to talk to girls at school about their work. Some schools encourage older girls who are studying STEM subjects to talk to younger students in their schools about their passion for their subject. University and research facilities open their laboratories to schools so that the students can experience hands-on scientific research.

Entering the world of work
More and more workplaces and science departments are using mentor programmes to help and support women when they are working in a minority. Women in senior roles are often very keen to offer support to younger women entering their field.

Role models
Probably one of the most important things is to make sure that girls see plenty of examples of successful women scientists in the news and in the media.

If you want to find out more about women in science and this special day, look for #WomenInScience on social media.

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Discussion

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International Day of Women and Girls in Science

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February 11 is International Day of Women and Girls in Science. We explore some of the reasons why there are fewer girls and women interested in working in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and what's happening to encourage equality in these fields.

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Black Friday and Buy Nothing Day

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Every year in November, people look for bargains on Black Friday. But did you know that the same day is also Buy Nothing Day?

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You don’t have permission to access this resource.

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What role does technology play in your life? Watch the video to hear people discussing this question.

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/audio-series/podcasts/podcasts-series-3/episode-03

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Listen to Emily talking about the importance of managing her stress levels and the techniques she uses.

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What role does technology play in your life? Watch the video to hear people discussing this question.

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What role does technology play in your life? Watch the video to hear people discussing this question.

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Listen to Lluís talking about running and what happened when he ran the Barcelona marathon.

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‘Raw hunger’ to ‘scandalous excess’: How Led Zeppelin became Britain’s ultimate 70s rock band

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Becoming Led Zeppelin is a new authorised documentary that tells the “untold story” of the band, who are difficult to define.

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Listen to Jocelyn talking about her experience of moving out of her family home and living on her own in Hong Kong.

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Google, Samsung to launch XR smart glasses this year

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Google is making a bold return to the smart glasses market, announcing a new Android-based extended reality (XR) eyewear project in collaboration with Samsung E

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As the internet and digital technology become a bigger part of our lives, more of our data becomes publicly accessible, leading to questions about privacy. So, how do we interact with the growing digital world without compromising the security of our information and our right to privacy?

Imagine that you want to learn a new language. You search 'Is German a difficult language?' on your phone. You click on a link and read an article with advice for learning German. There's a search function to find German courses, so you enter your city name. It asks you to activate location services to find courses near you. You click 'accept'. You then message a German friend to ask for her advice. When you look her up on social media, an advertisement for a book and an app called German for Beginners instantly pops up. Later the same day, while you're sending an email, you see an advert offering you a discount at a local language school. How did they know? The simple answer is online data. At all stages of your search, your devices, websites and applications were collecting data on your preferences and tracking your behaviour online. 'They' have been following you.

Who uses our data and why?

In the past, it was easy for people to keep track of their personal information. Like their possessions, people's information existed mostly in physical form: on paper, kept in a folder, locked in a cupboard or an office. Today, our personal information can be collected and stored online, and it's accessible to more people than ever before. Many of us share our physical location, our travel plans, our political opinions, our shopping interests and our family photos online - as key services like ordering a takeaway meal, booking a plane, taking part in a poll or buying new clothes now take place online and require us to give out our data.

Every search you make, service you use, message you send and item you buy is part of your 'digital footprint'. Companies and online platforms use this 'footprint' to track exactly what we are doing, from what links we click on to how much time we spend on a website. Based on your online activity, they can guess what you are interested in and what things you might want to buy. Knowing so much about you gives online platforms and companies a lot of power and a lot of money. By selling your data or providing targeted content, companies can turn your online activity into profit. This is the foundation of the growing industry of digital marketing.

Can you protect your data?

Yes ... and no!

Some of the time our personal data is shared online with our consent. We post our birthday, our photographs and even our opinions online on social media. We know that this information is publicly accessible. However, our data often travels further than we realise, and can be used in ways that we did not intend. Certain news scandals about data breaches, where personal data has been lost, leaked or shared without consent, have recently made people much more aware of the potential dangers of sharing information online.

So, can we do anything to protect our data? Or should we just accept that in fact nothing is 'free' and sharing our data is the price we have to pay for using many online services? As people are increasingly aware of and worried about data protection, governments and organisations are taking a more active role in protecting privacy. For example, the European Union passed the General Data Protection Law, which regulates how personal information is collected online. However, there is still much work to be done.

As internet users, we should all have a say in how our data is used. It is important that we pay more attention to how data is acquired, where it is stored and how it is used. As the ways in which we use the internet continue to grow and change, we will need to stay informed and keep demanding new laws and regulations, and better information about how to protect ourselves. Safer Internet Day is an ideal time to find out more about this topic.
https://www.saferinternetday.org/
Discussion

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On Safer Internet Day let's take a closer look at who uses our online data, what it's used for and what we can do to protect it.

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Listen to Mel talking about why she loves horror films and which ones she prefers.

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What role does technology play in your life? Watch the video to hear people discussing this question.

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Americans are often surprised to hear that British people have a special day in celebration of pancakes. After all, American pancakes are a typical breakfast or brunch meal. However, pancakes in the UK are much thinner than American pancakes because they don't use baking powder, so they are not fat and fluffy and, instead, are more like French crepes.

Why pancakes?

Pancake Day is actually another name for Shrove Tuesday, which takes place 40 days before Easter Sunday and marks the start of Lent. In some other countries this day is called Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, because it's when people ate all the good things for the last time before starting 40 days of religious fasting for Lent. Milk, eggs and oil or butter might not seem special nowadays, but hundreds of years ago they were one of the few ways of turning a basic recipe of flour and water into something richer.

The pancake bell

As well as using all their eggs and fats before Lent, people would also go to church to confess their sins to a priest. A bell used to ring at about 11 o'clock in the morning to remind people to cook their luxury ingredients and go to confession. This bell became known as the pancake bell. In Olney in Buckinghamshire, the town celebrates with a tradition that started in 1445 when a woman heard the bell while she was making pancakes. She ran out of the house to get to church in time for confession while she was still holding the hot pan with the pancake inside. As she ran, she tossed the pancake to flip it over and over again so that it wouldn't burn. Today, in Olney and some other towns across the UK, pancake races are held, where the racers all run and toss pancakes down the street.

Pancake Day in numbers

On average, British people eat two pancakes per person on Pancake Day (though plenty of people will have three or four at least) which means 117 million pancakes will be eaten in one day. On a normal day, Brits eat 30 million eggs per day, but on Pancake Day that goes up to 52 million eggs and enough milk to fill more than 93 Olympic swimming pools. While some people might put chocolate spread or syrup on their pancakes, the most popular topping, by far, is lemon juice and sugar. But instead of the fine white sugar you put on top of cakes, British people use the same kind of sugar they put in their tea. If you want to try making British-style pancakes today, here's a simple recipe:

Recipe

To make about 12 pancakes you need:

100g plain flour
2 large eggs
300ml milk
15ml of oil, plus extra for frying
a pinch of salt

1. Put the flour, milk, oil and pinch of salt into a bowl. Whisk them together, then add the eggs and whisk again until you have a smooth liquid called batter.

2. Leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes if you have time.

3. Put a medium-size frying pan over medium heat and put a little oil in the pan.

4. When the oil is hot, pour a large spoonful of batter into the pan and move the pan so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan.

5. Cook the pancakes for one minute on each side until they are golden.

6. Serve the pancakes warm with the topping you like best.

Discussion

Language level

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Americans are often surprised to hear that British people have a special day in celebration of pancakes. After all, American pancakes are a typical breakfast or brunch meal. However, pancakes in the UK are much thinner than American pancakes because they don't use baking powder, so they are not fat and fluffy and, instead, are more like French crepes.

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With over 10,000 athletes from over 200 countries competing in more than 30 different sports, the Summer Olympic Games are the world's biggest multisport event. They usually take place every four years, in a leap year. The Paralympic Games are the biggest international event for athletes with disabilities. They take place just after the Olympic Games, in the same host city.

Why are they called the Olympic Games?

The name comes from Olympia, a sacred place in Ancient Greece, where the first Ancient Olympic Games took place. The Games were a very important event for the Ancient Greeks and they took place every four years, from 776 BCE to at least 393 CE. The Games were very different from the ones we know now! They were essentially a religious festival, the athletes were mainly soldiers, and women were not allowed to compete. Married women were not even allowed to attend! Sports included boxing, wrestling and chariot racing. Athletes competed completely naked, and occasionally even died during combat sport competitions.

When did the Modern Olympic Games start?

From Ancient Greece, we fast forward to the 1896 Olympics in Athens, which marked the beginning of a new era of the Games. The 1896 Olympic Games saw 280 athletes from 12 countries competing in 43 events, including the first marathon competition. By the time the Paris Olympics took place in 1924, there were around 3,000 athletes, including more than 100 women, from more than 44 different countries. This was also the year that the first Winter Olympics were held. The Paralympic Games first took place in Rome, Italy, in 1960, with 400 athletes from 23 countries.

The Olympic rings

The 'Olympic rings' are a globally known symbol of the Olympic movement and were introduced in 1913. The colours of the five linked rings are, from left to right, blue, yellow, black, green and red, and they appear on a white background. They represent the union of five continents and the meeting of athletes from around the world.

The Olympic torch relay

The Olympic torch relay provides continuity between the Ancient and the Modern Olympic Games and symbolises peace and friendship. The flame is lit in Olympia several months before the Olympic Games. It is carried by one person after another as it travels around different places in Greece, before being taken to the country that is hosting the event that year.

Paris 2024

The 2024 Summer Olympics and Paralympics are taking place in France. Most of the events are happening in Paris, but other towns and cities are hosting events such as football, sailing and equestrian competitions. The Paris Olympic Games will include 28 'core' sports, plus four 'optional' sports: skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and breaking (breakdance). The Paralympics feature 22 different sports, with para athletics as the largest sport. Around 15 million international visitors are expected in Paris for the Olympic Games! Billions more people will watch the event live on television, making it the world's most-watched multisport event.

Discussion

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What do you know about the history and symbols of the Olympic Games? Read the article to find out about this globally renowned sports event.

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Around the world, one in four people will have some kind of mental illness during their lifetime. Around 450 million people are living with a mental health problem right now, making it one of the biggest health issues in the world. Yet people rarely talk about any mental health problems they have because there is still a lot of stigma.

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health (WMH) Day was first celebrated in 1992. It was created to raise awareness of just how common mental health issues are, fight against stigma and campaign for better conditions and treatment for people who have a mental health problem. The number of people and organisations involved in celebrating WMH Day has grown and grown, and now many countries, such as Australia, actually have a Mental Health Week, which includes WMH Day on 10 October. Each year there is a different theme. For example, in 2017 the theme was mental health in the workplace.

Mental health in the workplace

Employers should create an environment which supports good mental health. This also helps to reduce the number of days employees take off work. Employers should help employees to achieve a good work-life balance by encouraging them to take breaks and holidays and discouraging them from working at home in the evenings and at weekends. Employees should also feel that they can talk to their managers about any problems they might have, and employers should be supportive.

Get some exercise

Of course, we also need to look after our own mental health. Most people know that exercise is good for your body, but did you also know how good it is for your mental health? Regular exercise can really help you deal with anxiety and depression. Spending time in nature can also make people more relaxed and reduce stress. So why not get your exercise by going for a walk in a park or the countryside?

Eat well

Your diet can also change your mood. If you eat crisps, cake, chocolate, etc., your blood sugar will rise and fall, making you feel cross and tired. Make sure you are eating enough vegetables and fruit or you may be missing some nutrients you need to feel good. It's also important to drink enough water - being thirsty can make it difficult to think clearly.

Spend time with family and friends

Everyone needs some time alone, but it's also good for us to spend time with other people. If you feel lonely, try volunteering. It's a good way of meeting new people, and you will feel good for helping others. One survey showed that 48 per cent of people who volunteered for more than two years said they felt less depressed as a result. If you do have close friends and family, try talking to them more about how you feel and asking them to support you. Every time someone speaks to someone else about mental illness, it helps to reduce the stigma.

What to do on World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day encourages us to be more aware of both our own mental health and other people's. As well as looking after yourself, think about how you could support other people. For example, you could find out more about common issues such as anxiety and depression, so you will understand friends' and colleagues' problems better. You could also encourage your workplace to start a wellness programme that would benefit everyone - they might offer free exercise classes or encourage employees to take walks at lunchtime. Companies with wellness programmes have found employees take 28 per cent less time off for sickness.

Anything you do on WMH Day, even just talking to people about it, will help us all to understand and support people better.

Source:

Discussion

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World Mental Health Day, on 10 October, is a day to raise awareness of the effects mental illness has on millions of people's lives across the world, and to help educate and inform us all.

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/business-english/business-magazine/job-interviews

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Listen to Jocelyn talking about her experience of moving out of her family home and living on her own in Hong Kong.

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What role does technology play in your life? Watch the video to hear people discussing this question.

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What is English Language Day?

English Language Day was first celebrated in 2010, alongside Arabic Language Day, Chinese Language Day, French Language Day, Russian Language Day and Spanish Language Day. These are the six official languages of the United Nations, and each has a special day, designed to raise awareness of the history, culture and achievements of these languages.

Why is English Language Day celebrated on 23 April?

This day was chosen because it is thought to be Shakespeare's birthday, and the anniversary of his death. As well as being the English language's most famous playwright, Shakespeare also had a huge impact on modern-day English. At the time he was writing, in the 16th and 17th centuries, the English language was going through a lot of changes and Shakespeare's creativity with language meant he contributed hundreds of new words and phrases that are still used today. For example, the words 'gossip', 'fashionable' and 'lonely' were all first used by Shakespeare. He also invented phrases like 'break the ice', 'all our yesterdays', 'faint-hearted' and 'love is blind'. Can you guess what they mean?

The origins of English

The story of the English language began in the fifth century when Germanic tribes invaded Celtic-speaking Britain and brought their languages with them. Later, Scandinavian Vikings invaded and settled with their languages too. In 1066 William I, from modern-day France, became king, and Norman-French became the language of the courts and official activity. People couldn't understand each other at first, because the lower classes continued to use English while the upper classes spoke French, but gradually French began to influence English. An estimated 45 per cent of all English words have a French origin. By Shakespeare's time, Modern English had developed, printing had been invented and people had to start to agree on 'correct' spelling and vocabulary.

The spread of English

The spread of English all over the world has an ugly history but a rich and vibrant present. During the European colonial period, several European countries, including England, competed to expand their empires. They stole land, labour and resources from people across Africa, Asia, the Americas and Oceania. By the time former British colonies began to gain independence in the mid-20th century, English had become established in their institutions. Many brilliant writers from diverse places across Africa, the Caribbean and Asia had started writing in English, telling their stories of oppression. People from all over the world were using English to talk and write about justice, equality, freedom and identity from their own perspectives. The different varieties of English created through this history of migration and colonisation are known as World Englishes.

International English

More than 1.75 billion people speak English worldwide - that's around 1 in 4 people around the world. English is being used more and more as a way for two speakers with different first languages to communicate with each other, as a 'lingua franca'. For many people, the need to communicate is much more important than the need to sound like a native speaker. As a result, language use is starting to change. For example, speakers might not use 'a' or 'the' in front of nouns, or they might make uncountable nouns plural and say 'informations', 'furnitures' or 'co-operations'.

Are these variations mistakes? Or part of the natural evolution of different Englishes? 'International English' refers to the English that is used and developed by everyone in the world, and doesn't just belong to native speakers. There is a lot of debate about whether International English should be standardised and, if so, how. What do you think? If you're reading this, English is your language too.

Source
http://www.un.org/en/events/englishlanguageday/
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English Language Day is celebrated on 23 April. Read about where English came from, how it came to be spoken all over the world and how it is changing.

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20320 이찬희

Tennis and keeping fit

Tennis and keeping fit | LearnEnglish

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Listen to Phil talking about how taking up tennis when he retired has improved his health.

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There’s more behind the International Day of Happiness than you might think. Find out more by reading the article and answering the questions.

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/audio-zone/learning-languages

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As the internet and digital technology become a bigger part of our lives, more of our data becomes publicly accessible, leading to questions about privacy. So, how do we interact with the growing digital world without compromising the security of our information and our right to privacy?

Imagine that you want to learn a new language. You search 'Is German a difficult language?' on your phone. You click on a link and read an article with advice for learning German. There's a search function to find German courses, so you enter your city name. It asks you to activate location services to find courses near you. You click 'accept'. You then message a German friend to ask for her advice. When you look her up on social media, an advertisement for a book and an app called German for Beginners instantly pops up. Later the same day, while you're sending an email, you see an advert offering you a discount at a local language school. How did they know? The simple answer is online data. At all stages of your search, your devices, websites and applications were collecting data on your preferences and tracking your behaviour online. 'They' have been following you.

Who uses our data and why?

In the past, it was easy for people to keep track of their personal information. Like their possessions, people's information existed mostly in physical form: on paper, kept in a folder, locked in a cupboard or an office. Today, our personal information can be collected and stored online, and it's accessible to more people than ever before. Many of us share our physical location, our travel plans, our political opinions, our shopping interests and our family photos online - as key services like ordering a takeaway meal, booking a plane, taking part in a poll or buying new clothes now take place online and require us to give out our data.

Every search you make, service you use, message you send and item you buy is part of your 'digital footprint'. Companies and online platforms use this 'footprint' to track exactly what we are doing, from what links we click on to how much time we spend on a website. Based on your online activity, they can guess what you are interested in and what things you might want to buy. Knowing so much about you gives online platforms and companies a lot of power and a lot of money. By selling your data or providing targeted content, companies can turn your online activity into profit. This is the foundation of the growing industry of digital marketing.

Can you protect your data?

Yes ... and no!

Some of the time our personal data is shared online with our consent. We post our birthday, our photographs and even our opinions online on social media. We know that this information is publicly accessible. However, our data often travels further than we realise, and can be used in ways that we did not intend. Certain news scandals about data breaches, where personal data has been lost, leaked or shared without consent, have recently made people much more aware of the potential dangers of sharing information online.

So, can we do anything to protect our data? Or should we just accept that in fact nothing is 'free' and sharing our data is the price we have to pay for using many online services? As people are increasingly aware of and worried about data protection, governments and organisations are taking a more active role in protecting privacy. For example, the European Union passed the General Data Protection Law, which regulates how personal information is collected online. However, there is still much work to be done.

As internet users, we should all have a say in how our data is used. It is important that we pay more attention to how data is acquired, where it is stored and how it is used. As the ways in which we use the internet continue to grow and change, we will need to stay informed and keep demanding new laws and regulations, and better information about how to protect ourselves. Safer Internet Day is an ideal time to find out more about this topic.
https://www.saferinternetday.org/
Discussion

Language level

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On Safer Internet Day let's take a closer look at who uses our online data, what it's used for and what we can do to protect it.

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What role does technology play in your life? Watch the video to hear people discussing this question.

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Listen to Simon talking about how he learned several languages in a variety of different ways.

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Listen to Jordan talking about music and how social media has changed the way we discover new bands.

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20301 권영재

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Americans are often surprised to hear that British people have a special day in celebration of pancakes. After all, American pancakes are a typical breakfast or brunch meal. However, pancakes in the UK are much thinner than American pancakes because they don't use baking powder, so they are not fat and fluffy and, instead, are more like French crepes.

Why pancakes?

Pancake Day is actually another name for Shrove Tuesday, which takes place 40 days before Easter Sunday and marks the start of Lent. In some other countries this day is called Mardi Gras, or Fat Tuesday, because it's when people ate all the good things for the last time before starting 40 days of religious fasting for Lent. Milk, eggs and oil or butter might not seem special nowadays, but hundreds of years ago they were one of the few ways of turning a basic recipe of flour and water into something richer.

The pancake bell

As well as using all their eggs and fats before Lent, people would also go to church to confess their sins to a priest. A bell used to ring at about 11 o'clock in the morning to remind people to cook their luxury ingredients and go to confession. This bell became known as the pancake bell. In Olney in Buckinghamshire, the town celebrates with a tradition that started in 1445 when a woman heard the bell while she was making pancakes. She ran out of the house to get to church in time for confession while she was still holding the hot pan with the pancake inside. As she ran, she tossed the pancake to flip it over and over again so that it wouldn't burn. Today, in Olney and some other towns across the UK, pancake races are held, where the racers all run and toss pancakes down the street.

Pancake Day in numbers

On average, British people eat two pancakes per person on Pancake Day (though plenty of people will have three or four at least) which means 117 million pancakes will be eaten in one day. On a normal day, Brits eat 30 million eggs per day, but on Pancake Day that goes up to 52 million eggs and enough milk to fill more than 93 Olympic swimming pools. While some people might put chocolate spread or syrup on their pancakes, the most popular topping, by far, is lemon juice and sugar. But instead of the fine white sugar you put on top of cakes, British people use the same kind of sugar they put in their tea. If you want to try making British-style pancakes today, here's a simple recipe:

Recipe

To make about 12 pancakes you need:

100g plain flour
2 large eggs
300ml milk
15ml of oil, plus extra for frying
a pinch of salt

1. Put the flour, milk, oil and pinch of salt into a bowl. Whisk them together, then add the eggs and whisk again until you have a smooth liquid called batter.

2. Leave the batter to rest for 30 minutes if you have time.

3. Put a medium-size frying pan over medium heat and put a little oil in the pan.

4. When the oil is hot, pour a large spoonful of batter into the pan and move the pan so that the batter covers the bottom of the pan.

5. Cook the pancakes for one minute on each side until they are golden.

6. Serve the pancakes warm with the topping you like best.

Discussion

Language level

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Americans are often surprised to hear that British people have a special day in celebration of pancakes. After all, American pancakes are a typical breakfast or brunch meal. However, pancakes in the UK are much thinner than American pancakes because they don't use baking powder, so they are not fat and fluffy and, instead, are more like French crepes.

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Forests, and the wood they provide, are very important in many areas of our lives. Watch this video to find out more.

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As the internet and digital technology become a bigger part of our lives, more of our data becomes publicly accessible, leading to questions about privacy. So, how do we interact with the growing digital world without compromising the security of our information and our right to privacy?

Imagine that you want to learn a new language. You search 'Is German a difficult language?' on your phone. You click on a link and read an article with advice for learning German. There's a search function to find German courses, so you enter your city name. It asks you to activate location services to find courses near you. You click 'accept'. You then message a German friend to ask for her advice. When you look her up on social media, an advertisement for a book and an app called German for Beginners instantly pops up. Later the same day, while you're sending an email, you see an advert offering you a discount at a local language school. How did they know? The simple answer is online data. At all stages of your search, your devices, websites and applications were collecting data on your preferences and tracking your behaviour online. 'They' have been following you.

Who uses our data and why?

In the past, it was easy for people to keep track of their personal information. Like their possessions, people's information existed mostly in physical form: on paper, kept in a folder, locked in a cupboard or an office. Today, our personal information can be collected and stored online, and it's accessible to more people than ever before. Many of us share our physical location, our travel plans, our political opinions, our shopping interests and our family photos online - as key services like ordering a takeaway meal, booking a plane, taking part in a poll or buying new clothes now take place online and require us to give out our data.

Every search you make, service you use, message you send and item you buy is part of your 'digital footprint'. Companies and online platforms use this 'footprint' to track exactly what we are doing, from what links we click on to how much time we spend on a website. Based on your online activity, they can guess what you are interested in and what things you might want to buy. Knowing so much about you gives online platforms and companies a lot of power and a lot of money. By selling your data or providing targeted content, companies can turn your online activity into profit. This is the foundation of the growing industry of digital marketing.

Can you protect your data?

Yes ... and no!

Some of the time our personal data is shared online with our consent. We post our birthday, our photographs and even our opinions online on social media. We know that this information is publicly accessible. However, our data often travels further than we realise, and can be used in ways that we did not intend. Certain news scandals about data breaches, where personal data has been lost, leaked or shared without consent, have recently made people much more aware of the potential dangers of sharing information online.

So, can we do anything to protect our data? Or should we just accept that in fact nothing is 'free' and sharing our data is the price we have to pay for using many online services? As people are increasingly aware of and worried about data protection, governments and organisations are taking a more active role in protecting privacy. For example, the European Union passed the General Data Protection Law, which regulates how personal information is collected online. However, there is still much work to be done.

As internet users, we should all have a say in how our data is used. It is important that we pay more attention to how data is acquired, where it is stored and how it is used. As the ways in which we use the internet continue to grow and change, we will need to stay informed and keep demanding new laws and regulations, and better information about how to protect ourselves. Safer Internet Day is an ideal time to find out more about this topic.
https://www.saferinternetday.org/
Discussion

Language level

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
On Safer Internet Day let's take a closer look at who uses our online data, what it's used for and what we can do to protect it.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
People celebrate World Environment Day (WED) in many different ways all over the world: planting trees, cleaning up local beaches, organising meetings, joining online protests. Each year the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) chooses a particular issue to focus on. One year it might be forests, another year it might be wildlife. And each year there is a new host; a city which is the centre point for all the celebrations.

How it first started

The United Nations (UN) named 5 June as international World Environment Day at the Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment in 1972. The idea was to draw attention to the many problems that are facing our environment. They wanted to include as many people, organisations and governments, both local and national, as possible. They wanted to show that positive change is possible when people work together to fight for a common cause.

The first World Environment Day

The first WED was celebrated in 1974 in the city of Spokane in the USA. The slogan for that first year was 'Only One Earth' and it was celebrated with the world's first world fair to be dedicated to the environment. The exhibition lasted for six months.

The hosts

Since 1974 the WED has been hosted by 34 different cities in 25 different countries around the world, from Cuba to Korea, from Belgium to Brazil. Some countries have hosted the main celebrations two or more times, including Bangladesh, Canada and China. But that doesn't mean that all the celebrations take place in the host country. Every year people from all over the world take part in a huge number of different events to draw attention to the main issue.

The issues

Each year the celebrations focus on a particular problem. Over the last ten years key issues have included wildlife, forests and plastic waste, among other things. Each issue has a slogan. Past slogans include 'Think. Eat. Save.', which asked people to think about the issue of food waste, and 'Raise your voice, not the sea level', to focus on the effect that global warming is having on small island nations around the world. As well as slogans, hashtags have become important for the campaigns too. In a recent campaign the hashtag #WildforLife became a strong symbol for the fight against all kinds of illegal trading in plants and animals.

What you can do

If you want to take part in the celebrations, or support this year's special cause, here are some things that you can do. You can visit the official website to find out what this year's slogan is. You can search for the slogan online to find organisations and events in your area or online. You can share information about the cause and the events on social media or form a local action group of your own and organise an event in your community. Whatever you do, you won't be alone. Millions of people all around the world will be joining the celebrations and fighting for a better future for our planet.

Discussion

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On World Environment Day people from countries all around the world come together to take action to defend our planet. Find out about some of the things people are doing to celebrate this special day.

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25 Famous Charity Events Around the World [2024]

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Video: The Top 8 Charities in the World Did you know that charity events are not only a great way to raise funds for a cause, but they also bring people together from all walks of life?

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Tess and Ravi discuss the news and the BBC, while Adam and Jo talk about unusual words such as ‘series’ and ‘news’.

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why should we learn English

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Why do we need International Workers' Day?

International Workers' Day is a celebration of working people and a day when people campaign for decent work and fair pay. Thanks to action taken by workers over many years, millions of people have won fundamental rights and protections. Minimum wages have been established, there are limits on working hours, and people have the right to paid holidays and sick pay.

However, in recent years, working conditions in many situations have got worse. Since the global financial crisis of 2008, part-time, short-term and badly paid work has become more common, and state pensions are at risk. We have also seen the rise of the 'gig economy', where companies hire workers casually for one short job at a time. These workers don't have the usual rights to paid holidays, the minimum wage or redundancy pay. Solidarity with other workers is as important as ever.

The history of International Workers' Day

In May 1886, 400,000 workers in many parts of the USA went on strike, demanding an eight-hour working day. The strike started peacefully, but on the third day of protests in Chicago there was some violence. The police shot at unarmed workers, killing several of them. The next day there were more protests and someone threw a bomb. Seven police officers and four workers were killed by the bomb or police shooting just after the bomb. The person who threw the bomb was never identified, but eight workers were arrested. Seven of them were sentenced to death, and one of them was sent to prison for 15 years.

This event, known as The Haymarket Affair, was very important in bringing working people together in the USA. Many people didn't believe the men were guilty, and the trial was criticised for being unfair. The Haymarket Affair became an international symbol of the struggle for workers' rights, and May 1 was chosen to be International Workers' Day. On this day, socialist parties and trade unions called for workers to demonstrate for the eight-hour day and in favour of peaceful protest. The eight-hour working day became law for public workers in 1892 in the USA. Since then, workers' movements all over the world have continued to fight for and win this right.

How is Workers' Day celebrated now?

Celebrations and protests take place in different ways in different countries around the world. May 1 is a public holiday in countries such as South Africa, Tunisia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and China. In many countries, including France, Greece, Japan, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States, there are demonstrations on International Workers' Day.

Workers' Day is a day for working people to have a rest from their usual labour. It is an opportunity to campaign for workers' rights, show solidarity with other working people and to celebrate the achievements of workers all over the world.

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International Workers' Day is a celebration of working people and a day when people campaign for decent work and fair pay. Thanks to action taken by workers over many years, millions of people have won fundamental rights and protections. Minimum wages have been established, there are limits on working hours, and people have the right to paid holidays and sick pay.

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187번 How to make a billion.

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There are more vocabulary activities related to these podcasts on the 'extras' page. Podcasts 1-99 members only.

Barbados becomes a republic:

Ways to prevent getting sick:

148 The 2018 quiz. Which stories made the headlines last year? And can Richard remember them?!
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► Transcript
► Worksheet & Answers

130 Buster the boxer. A fun end to the year: watch the most popular Christmas advert in the UK.
► Download (0.5MB, 1min 09sec)
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Listen to English and learn English with podcasts in English for intermediate English learners

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podcast website for people learning and teaching English

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Listen to Simon talking about how he learned several languages in a variety of different ways.

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Sergeant Frank Spike sat behind his desk and stared out of the window. Outside, a steady stream of traffic passed by, each car moving slowly in the cold, grey rain.

Frank looked down at the grey hairs on his arms, and his round stomach, which pushed against the desk. This was his final month before he retired from the police, and, for Frank, retirement couldn't come soon enough.

Frank frowned as he considered the terrible retirement package he had been given. It was barely enough money to take a short holiday on the cold and rainy east coast of England where he lived. There was no way he could afford the round-the-world, luxury cruise he had always dreamed of.

Just as Frank was sighing heavily, Inspector Spencer came up to his desk, with his perfect white teeth and enthusiastic smile. Three years earlier, Spencer had been promoted. Now he had the position of inspector at the young age of forty. Frank, in comparison, had worked for the police for forty years and been passed over for promotion three times. It was true he had neither the looks nor charm of Spencer - sorry, Inspector Spencer - but the younger man didn't have Frank's 'nose for crime'. That nose meant Frank could get inside the mind of the criminal and solve the trickiest of cases. As a result, the younger man often asked for Frank's help. In fact, it was pretty much the only time Spencer spoke to him.

'Hey, Frank, do you mind if I ask your advice about something?'

Unsurprised, Frank nodded.

'Have you heard of the Babbingtons?'

Everyone had heard of the Babbingtons. Ronald Babbington was the millionaire owner of Babbington Oil, and his wife Tabitha was a model. Together they enjoyed nothing more than showing off how rich they were. They often appeared in magazines like Hello!, with their gorgeous house and collection of sports cars. Most recently, they had invited the press to take photographs of the enormous diamond Ronald had bought for his bride. Under the protection of a sophisticated alarm system, the diamond sat in a large gold and glass case. The case stood at the end of a long, red carpet.

Spencer paused for dramatic effect, then explained.

'We've had some secret information about a plan to steal the Babbington diamond!'

Frank raised his eyebrows in an attempt to look suitably impressed.

'Peggy, the owner of the Dog and Duck pub, heard a couple of local criminals talking about it. She's asked that we keep her identity secret of course. But our officers have made some discreet inquiries that seem to confirm what Peggy says.'

Frank nodded again and waited for the inevitable question.

'So?' Spencer asked. 'What do you think is the best thing to do? After all, it's only a rumour. We've got nothing concrete to arrest them on.'

Frank looked thoughtfully out of the window. He remembered his retirement money. He didn't want to be alone in his retirement, but the money wouldn't even be enough to buy a cat to keep him company.

The sound of a car horn brought him back to the case. He put his fingers together under his chin to look as if he was thinking deeply. Which he was, but not quite in the direction Inspector Spencer expected.

'Listen, do this the clever way,' said Frank, leaning towards the younger officer. 'What you need to do is let them commit the crime. If you catch them red-handed, you've got all the evidence you need, no problem.'

'But, Frank,' said Spencer, 'we'd need the approval of the Babbington family. And there are laws about tricking criminals like that, you know!'

'That's why you let them commit the crime. Then, apparently by chance, stop them for speeding as they escape the crime scene. You search the car to find the diamond, and you've caught them red-handed! Plus, the owner of the pub is protected, and you have all the evidence you need.'

'Hmmmm. OK.' Spencer was uncomfortable with the methods Frank was suggesting. But he couldn't deny the plan would work.

Frank continued, 'Of course, you need to ensure the arresting officer is someone you know is reliable.'

Spencer understood immediately.

'Are you sure you want to do it, Frank? It could be dangerous.'

'I'll make sure I'm with a couple of tough young officers, but, yes, of course I want to do it.'

'Why?' asked Spencer. 'You're just about to retire! Don't you want to take it easy?'

'That's exactly why I want to do it,' Frank replied. 'My last case will be my final chance for glory!'

*****

A few days later, Frank went into the Dog and Duck pub after work.

'Did you get it?' he asked Peggy as she handed him his drink.

'Yes. I am now the proud owner of a perfect replica Babbington diamond,' she said. 'I told the glassmaker I was a huge fan of the Babbingtons and that my mean boyfriend wouldn't buy me a diamond of my own.'

'You need a new boyfriend,' said Frank. 'If I were your boyfriend, I'd buy you a diamond ring and take you on a long luxury cruise if I had the chance.'

'Oh, really?' she said and smiled.

*****

Frank was sitting in the back seat of the police car, which was hidden on the road through the woods to the Babbington mansion. In the front seats were two young officers who were strong and reliable.

At 23.30, a message had come in on the police radio. The burglars had met outside the Dog and Duck pub. At 23.37, the young man started the car and left the pub. In the passenger seat was a tall, athletic woman.

At midnight, the pair passed the hidden police car on their way to the mansion. At 00.13, the woman threw heavy ropes over one of the mansion's garden walls. A second hidden police team watched her climb over, while the man waited in the car.

At 00.20, the woman reappeared at the top of the wall with an excited smile on her face. She climbed quickly down the rope before pulling it down with her and running back to the car. Smiling in triumph, the man waited for her to jump in and then sped off in the car.

*****

At 00.23, the thieves passed Frank's car. The young police officer in the driver's seat immediately switched on the flashing blue lights and followed them.

Inside the car, the thieves panicked.

'What are they doing here?' the man shouted. 'I thought you said you turned off the alarms?'

'Relax, I did,' she replied. 'They couldn't have got here this fast anyway. They're just traffic police. Just keep calm and act normally and we can walk away from this with the diamond.'

The man slowed their car to a stop and pressed the button that lowered his window.

'Is there a problem, officer?' he asked, his face shiny with nervous sweat.

'You were speeding. We'll need to give you a ticket. Can you both get out of the car, please?'

The man still looked nervous. While one officer wrote out the speeding ticket and the other stood by ready to get involved if things turned nasty, Frank began thoroughly searching the car.

'Hey, what's he searching the car for?' the woman said. But she knew the game was over.

Frank breathed heavily as he knelt down and started lifting up the rubber mats underneath the seats. His hand felt something smooth, hard and cold under the front passenger car seat. The Babbington diamond! He took the diamond and put it in his jacket pocket. At the same time, with his other hand, he took a very similar object out of his trouser pocket. He held it up.

'OK, you two!' he said. 'You are under arrest for robbery!'

*****

While the young police officers arrested and handcuffed the criminals, Frank held the evidence up for everyone to admire. It shone rainbow colours as it caught the light from the moon.

The two officers sighed in appreciation.

'I've never seen a real diamond up close,' said one.

'Imagine someone giving you that as a present!' said the other.

'Just imagine,' Frank agreed. He carefully put it into an evidence bag. Half an hour later, back at the station, he handed it over to Spencer. Spencer took it from him carefully, as if it was a newborn baby.

*****

Five weeks later, Frank was sitting in his new luxury massage chair and drinking a glass of the finest champagne. His expensive new cat rubbed her tail around his legs, and he reached down to stroke her.

With a satisfied sigh, he leaned over and picked up the local newspaper. The two burglars had got six years in prison. The accompanying photo was of the Babbingtons happily showing off the diamond inside its new, extra-thick glass case. Frank looked closely at the photo of the diamond.

Only a jewellery expert would spot anything strange about the Babbington diamond. And even then, only if they saw the stone up close.

Frank put the newspaper down and picked up one of the travel magazines on his beautiful new coffee table.

'Peggy?' he said. 'Would you like to go to the Bahamas or the Maldives?'

Peggy put down her own champagne glass, a small diamond ring on her finger shining in the light. 'Why not both?' she smiled.

'I did promise you a long cruise,' he said.

'You did!' she replied. 'I'm so glad I called you first when I heard them talking about that robbery.'

'Me too, Peggy,' he said. 'Me too.'

Retirement was turning out to be a wonderful thing after all.
Story written by Clive Lane and adapted by Nicola Prentis

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Sergeant Frank Spike is not a successful police officer. But he has 'a nose for crime'. Will his last case change his luck?

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Two friends take action to create a beautiful green town. But what's the best way to help the environment, and is it worth going to prison for?

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Listen to Phil talking about how taking up tennis when he retired has improved his health.

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Listen to Jo talking about a very special restaurant she visited recently.

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When his physics experiment goes wrong and all the stars disappear, the whole world blames Dr Tomas Streyer. Are the stars gone forever?

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When a vampire visits a happy young couple, will true love save their lives?

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Listen to Luke talking about London life and the best and worst things about living there.

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When a vampire visits a happy young couple, will true love save their lives?

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When his physics experiment goes wrong and all the stars disappear, the whole world blames Dr Tomas Streyer. Are the stars gone forever?

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The knock at her front door came just as Victoria was about to open it, even though, strangely, she'd heard neither the lift nor anyone on the stairs. She balanced on one foot while she put on her other shoe, slipping on piles of unopened bills. She was late to work for the third time this month and now she had a visitor. Great.

She opened the door and forced her mouth into a smile she hoped said, 'I'd love to chat, but sorry I can't!'.

'And how are we today, Victoria?' the man at her door asked. 'Good, I hope! If not, I bring you an eternity of warmth and best wishes from the wonderful director of my company.'

Victoria's smile vanished. How did he know her name?

'You know how I can be so sure? I am the wonderful director of my company!' he said, winking.

'I'm sorry,' said Victoria. 'I'm in a rush. I'm late for work.'

'Time!' He clicked his tongue. 'That's what they all want. Time or happiness, which one would you like more of?'

'Listen, really,' said Victoria, 'I'm not interested, sorry.'

'We've got a special offer on,' he replied. 'Twenty-five years of extra life in exchange for eternity. Or,' he smiled widely, 'double your happiness for the same price.'

'Price?' she repeated, despite it being far from the strangest part of his sentence.

'Yes, it's a fixed price, no hidden charges. We take everything you have - forever.'

It was strange that he was wasting his precious selling time on talking nonsense. 'Then I want fifty extra years or four times more happiness,' she joked.

'Oh, you could. But I have to warn you, the quality of the years after the standard twenty-five isn't always as high. I'd go for happiness.'

He pushed the lift button for her. Of course, it was obvious, at this time of day, dressed for work, that she was about to go down. OK, so her shirt wasn't ironed because she hadn't had time and her very-important-looking briefcase actually contained sandwiches for lunch because she couldn't afford to join her colleagues eating out for lunch. Plus, she worked through her breaks, desperately trying to find extra time for all the work she had to do. One day, she'd get her dream job - just as soon as she knew what that was.

Sometimes Victoria felt as if her sister had all the luck in the family. Not only did she run her own award-winning publishing company, she'd married an equally talented man, the gorgeous and funny Peter, whose only fault was not having a twin. Even the way they met sounded like the plot of a film. Charlotte had been having a run of bad luck, ending in a car accident that had threatened to leave her unable to walk. Peter, a new doctor at the hospital, had to perform several risky operations that they had thought wouldn't work, but she was back on her feet within weeks. Even he joked that he hadn't known he was such a good surgeon. He proposed two months later. Half a year after the accident, Charlotte had set up her company and now they lived in the most expensive part of London. Victoria tried not to be jealous of her sister for any of it - not the husband, not the successful business, not their beautiful house nor their children - but it was a level of happiness that she wished she could taste for herself.

Thinking about Charlotte's accident reminded her how impossible it was to know what might happen. 'But what if I get run over by a bus tomorrow?'

'Then you'll have been blissfully happy for that one day. Time or happiness, I can only offer one. I'm not a miracle worker. That's another company.'

He winked again.

'Well, maybe you should change jobs,' she said and pressed the lift button herself.

He shook his head. 'I've tried them. Their sales team has quite a different approach. Be miserable now, then happy for eternity. It has its appeal but, honestly, it's a much harder sell.'

The lift wasn't even moving. She turned towards the stairs. 'Late' didn't begin to describe the time she would get to work. But as she started down the stairs, she suddenly remembered something.

'Damn!' she swore. She hadn't picked up her little nieces' birthday presents. There wasn't time to go back and get them now. Angela and Gabriella's perfect birthday party would be minus two messily wrapped presents from their imperfect auntie. One day they'd be old enough to wonder how their mother could be related to Victoria.

'It's time, isn't it, Victoria. I can always tell,' he called after her.

'Even if I believed this ridiculous stuff you're saying, I don't have time to discuss it with you ...'

She broke off, annoyed with herself for admitting she needed more time, and then let out a little scream as he slid down the banister and suddenly appeared in front of her, floating in the air with his arms and legs crossed.

'Then it's happiness!' he said, scratching one of two little horns that she now noticed on either side of his head.

Victoria pulled her hand off the banister and put her other hand against the wall so she wouldn't fall. She caught her nails on the rough bricks, feeling two of them break where they joined the skin. The pain made her scream again, but she didn't stop to look now she was sure who he was.

'I'm happy enough, thanks,' she said, with as much strength in her voice as she could while running down the stairs with two bleeding fingers.

'Are you happy, Victoria?' he asked as he continued sliding down the banister with her. 'Of course, you love your job, however low paid it is and never mind the fact that your boss hates you because you're never on time. You'll find the rent somehow, you always do. So resourceful.'

'You can't know that!' she shouted. 'Anyway, money doesn't buy happiness! It's the root of all evil.'

'True, Victoria, true. Very wise. It's love that makes the world go round.'

'Exactly!' she said, winning a point finally. Five more floors to go.

'I'm sure one day you'll meet someone ...' he said.

'I don't need a man to be happy, so if that's all you've got in your happy bag ...'

'So wise, Victoria,' he continued. 'So few people realise happiness comes from within, not from material things or other people. I see you're cleverer than many of our customers. Twenty-five years extra, then. I can see it in you, Victoria. You won't waste them.'

'Twenty-five on top of what, though?'

'No, no, no.' He turned the final corner with her. 'I won't tell you how long you would have lived, because then you'll know how long you've got left. We've tried that before. People just ruin it for themselves. It's in the small print but I wouldn't read that if I were you.'

'I don't believe in this stuff. Or in you!'

He jumped off the banister and bowed, holding something small and white out to her.

'Neither did your sister,' he said. 'Not until she had her accident. My card if you change your mind.'

And he disappeared, leaving Victoria with the card in her hand and her mouth open in shock.
Nicola Prentis

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A mysterious salesman knocks at Victoria's door and offers her a deal to solve all her problems. Will she give in to temptation or is the price too high?

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/story-zone/a2-b1-stories/devils-details-a2/b1

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Kate looked around the room at the other people: ten men and ten women all around the same age.

'Thank you for coming today and offering your time to help with our research! Limeren, the medicine we're testing, is in the final stage of testing. Previous human trials have shown us that Limeren is completely safe ...'

Kate stopped paying attention. She'd read the information the medical research company had sent her, so she knew that Limeren had already been approved for sale and that they were not testing to see if there were side effects. She didn't know any of the other people in the group. She guessed that none of them had jobs either or they wouldn't be earning money by testing medicine. But otherwise it was impossible to know if she had anything in common with any of them. She hoped so, or four days in the research centre would feel like a very long time.

'... as side effects, we know that some people experience stronger emotions and a feeling of general happiness,' the head researcher said. 'We'll be interviewing each of you and doing tests during the day and night. So if you can all sign the forms, we can start.'

Kate signed her form without reading the information. Hopefully, this was going to be a very easy way to make money.

'I hope the food's better than last time,' said the guy sitting next to her as he gave in his form.

Kate smiled.

'I'm Michael.'

'Kate,' she said. 'Have you been here before?'

'I do these trials as often as they'll let me!' He laughed. 'It's such an easy way to make money!'

She smiled back. Here was someone she had something in common with.

...

A few hours later, Kate was eating dinner. She had taken her second Limeren tablet before dinner. She was feeling really relaxed. Maybe it was the vitamins, or maybe it was just because she had so much free time and there was nothing she needed to do. There were books to read, films to watch and even board games and puzzles. At home, she had to send out job applications. Or she had to go to stressful job interviews. After more than twenty applications she still didn't have a job.

She looked up and saw Michael smiling at her. 'Do you want to play a board game?' he asked. His eyes were really dark brown, Kate thought. She hadn't noticed that earlier. She felt her cheeks go red. 'Sure,' she replied. 'But I like to win,' she warned.

'Perfect,' he said. 'Me too!'

Was it her imagination or did his cheeks look a bit pink too?

...

For the next two days, Kate and Michael spent hours and hours playing games, chatting and watching films.

'I feel as if I've known you for months, not days,' she said. She already knew he lived nearby, that he was a student studying for his PhD and that he had dimples in his cheeks when he smiled and a cute way of putting a pen behind his ear when he was reading. She wasn't sure, but she thought he was trying to sit next to her for meals and spend time with her whenever he could. Or maybe she was the one who was always looking for him.

'So, do you think you're feeling any side effects?' he asked her one evening. They were sitting on the sofa, watching a film. Michael's knee was almost touching her leg, and if his hand moved just a little, it would be touching hers. Her heart beat faster and all she could think about was being near enough for his skin to touch hers. Her face was red again, she knew it.

'Any what?' she asked, trying to concentrate on their conversation instead.

'The side effects of Limeren that they told us about at the presentation,' he said, moving his hand away. Her skin immediately felt cold, as if his hand had been making the air between them warm.

'Oh, I wasn't really listening,' she said. 'We still get paid anyway, don't we?'

And then he did it. He moved his hand so that it covered hers. A nice feeling travelled all the way through her fingers and across her skin. She turned her hand over and held his hand. He smiled and moved his face towards hers.

'Can everyone come and get their next Limeren, please?' called a nurse. Michael dropped her hand and followed the rest of the group to the nurse's room. Kate couldn't remember ever feeling so happy.

...

'Thank you everyone for taking part. You're now free to go,' the head researcher said the next morning as the trial ended. 'Any side effects will disappear over the next few days. If you have felt any strong feelings, and happiness, those feelings will decrease. Fortunately, we don't expect anyone to become depressed. However, we will keep in touch with all of you in the next few days to make sure everything is fine.'

'We can have our first date now,' Michael said to Kate. 'Breakfast?'

Over breakfast, they talked and talked. Kate knew she was in love. It was stupid, but it was true. Michael said it first.

'I can't believe I met you. I've never felt like this about anyone before.'

'This does feel amazing,' Kate said. But she had been worried about something since the beginning of the trial. She hadn't wanted to think about it but now she had to ask him a serious question.

'You don't think ...?'

'What?'

'What if it's the Limeren making us feel like this? What was it he said about strong feelings?'

'There's only one way to find out!' he said. 'If you don't want to be my girlfriend any more after a few days, we'll know it was just the Limeren.'

She smiled at the word 'girlfriend.' 'Maybe your side effects will go away first!'

'Maybe!' He laughed. 'But I don't think so. This feels real to me.'

'Me too,' she said.

...

Four months later

A few months later, Kate was thinking about the beginning of their relationship. She had to admit, nothing could ever be as perfect as those first days together. Real life had to start again. She got a job a few days after the trial ended. Michael went back to the library and his books and research projects. She didn't have to worry about money any more but they could no longer spend all day, every day together. They were no longer at that exciting stage of falling in love. But they saw each other when they could and they met each other's parents. Everyone expected them to get married. When he finally asked her to marry him, she felt that old excitement again.

...

Three years later

'I really don't have time for this!' Kate shouted. She hated doing the weekly shopping. Why couldn't he do it?

'Fine, I'll go then,' she said, closing the door hard so that it made a loud noise.

Kate felt as if these kinds of arguments were happening more often. As she walked around the supermarket, she thought about how they'd been before, when they were in love. 'Can it ever feel like that again?' she wondered.

Walking into the health section, she recognised a word on a box of medicine. Limeren. The vitamin's name reminded her of a special time, a time when she was really crazy about Michael. She picked up a box and put it in her basket.

...

When she got home, Michael was already in bed so she ate dinner alone, taking her Limeren with a big glass of water. The next morning, she woke up early as usual, but instead of jumping straight in the shower, she joined Michael downstairs for breakfast.

'Good morning!' she said. To her surprise, she suddenly wanted to kiss him on the cheek. So she did, and sat down next to him at the table. He was eating in front of a big pile of books, looking cute with a pen behind his ear. 'What are you doing?'

'I'm applying for money for my next research project,' he said.

'Oh, good luck! What's the project about?'

After breakfast, she thought how nice it had been to see him talking about something he cared about. She'd forgotten how cute his dimples were when he smiled, she thought. Or maybe she hadn't seen him smile much recently. Anyway, she decided to have breakfast with him every day, since it had been such a lovely start to the day. It couldn't hurt to make a bit more effort, could it?

...

Two years later

The baby hadn't stopped crying for two hours, but now her little face was peaceful as she slept. Kate felt annoyed. Where was Michael? She went downstairs and found him filling bottles with milk for the baby.

'Well done!' Michael said. 'That didn't sound easy.'

'No!' she said angrily. 'It isn't!'

'You're doing an amazing job,' he said. 'OK, so, I've washed all the clothes, made your lunch for later and I'm going to come home early this afternoon so that you can have some time for yourself.'

Kate managed to smile and say thank you. He really was being very sweet, even if she was too tired to feel grateful or to be nice back. As soon as he had left for work, she picked up the box of Limeren. By the time he came home, Kate felt able to smile back when he smiled at her.

One year later

Kate was putting clothes away while the baby slept. She picked up one of Michael's favourite jumpers and held the soft material next to her cheek. She missed him and he had only been out an hour. Putting it back, she noticed something hard under the rest of the jumpers in the drawer. It was boxes and boxes of Limeren.

They weren't hers! She was shocked to see these boxes. She took Limeren every day, it was true, but Michael? She thought of Limeren as an easy way to those feelings she'd always had for Michael. And it was working. Every day she felt madly in love with her wonderful husband. Everyone said marriage was hard work, but she just didn't have time or energy for the job of marriage as well as her part-time job and a young baby. When she took Limeren, she made more effort to do small things that made their life together enjoyable. If he did something nice for her, she said thank you, but most of all she actually felt grateful. If he wore a new shirt or his hair looked good, she told him he was handsome. She asked him about his day and remembered things that were important to him. She'd seen nothing wrong with doing this. Until now, that is. Now she knew why he had always been so good at doing those same things for her. It was all fake!

Instead of smiling at Michael when he got home, she was angry. Clearly the Limeren only had a limited ability to make everything perfect because nothing felt perfect right now.

'What are all these?' she asked. She pointed to the Limeren packets she'd taken from the drawer and put on the kitchen table.

Michael moved closer and tried to read the small writing on the boxes. 'They're vitamins, aren't they?'

'Don't act as if you've got no idea why I'm asking!' said Kate, even more angry. 'These boxes,' she said, picking one of the packets up, 'are our relationship.'

'Oh!' he said. 'It's Limeren!'

'Yes, it's Limeren,' she said. 'I know exactly what they are.'

He looked confused. 'So why are you asking me what they are? I remember the name now you've said - from the place we met, right? - but I've not taken those for years.'

'What?'

'I just ... I don't know. It's better to get vitamins from fruit and vegetables, isn't it?' he said. 'The research company sent us boxes and boxes of them years ago, but I put them away somewhere and forgot to throw them away. We eat a healthy enough diet so there's no need to take vitamins.'

'What about ...' She felt her voice getting louder and louder, but also something made her feel less sure about the words she planned to say. Her idea sounded stupid. 'What about the falling in love part? The side effects! You're always so wonderful, the perfect husband. And now I know why!'

'Er ... thanks?' He laughed. 'I know they told us there were some side effects, but we were just joking when we said we fell in love because of the medicine, weren't we? Also,' he added, turning the box over in his hands, 'they must have changed the ingredients or something because it doesn't say anything on the box about side effects. See?' He held it out for her to look. 'Maybe they changed the recipe after we did that trial. Who knows?'

He gave her a big hug. 'This perfect husband is all natural, don't worry.'

He went upstairs to kiss the baby and then she heard him in the kitchen as he started to make dinner. She looked carefully at the boxes and it was true. There was nothing on the box about side effects, or even on the information inside. They were just vitamins after all. Limeren wasn't an easy way to love and it never had been.
Nicola Prentis

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Two people fall in love. But is their experience real? Or is it just an effect of the medicine they're taking?

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First star I see tonight

https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/story-zone/a2-b1-stories/first-star-i-see-tonight-a2/b1

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When his physics experiment goes wrong and all the stars disappear, the whole world blames Dr Tomas Streyer. Are the stars gone forever?

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What role does technology play in your life? Watch the video to hear people discussing this question.

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Around the world, one in four people will have some kind of mental illness during their lifetime. Around 450 million people are living with a mental health problem right now, making it one of the biggest health issues in the world. Yet people rarely talk about any mental health problems they have because there is still a lot of stigma.

World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health (WMH) Day was first celebrated in 1992. It was created to raise awareness of just how common mental health issues are, fight against stigma and campaign for better conditions and treatment for people who have a mental health problem. The number of people and organisations involved in celebrating WMH Day has grown and grown, and now many countries, such as Australia, actually have a Mental Health Week, which includes WMH Day on 10 October. Each year there is a different theme. For example, in 2017 the theme was mental health in the workplace.

Mental health in the workplace

Employers should create an environment which supports good mental health. This also helps to reduce the number of days employees take off work. Employers should help employees to achieve a good work-life balance by encouraging them to take breaks and holidays and discouraging them from working at home in the evenings and at weekends. Employees should also feel that they can talk to their managers about any problems they might have, and employers should be supportive.

Get some exercise

Of course, we also need to look after our own mental health. Most people know that exercise is good for your body, but did you also know how good it is for your mental health? Regular exercise can really help you deal with anxiety and depression. Spending time in nature can also make people more relaxed and reduce stress. So why not get your exercise by going for a walk in a park or the countryside?

Eat well

Your diet can also change your mood. If you eat crisps, cake, chocolate, etc., your blood sugar will rise and fall, making you feel cross and tired. Make sure you are eating enough vegetables and fruit or you may be missing some nutrients you need to feel good. It's also important to drink enough water - being thirsty can make it difficult to think clearly.

Spend time with family and friends

Everyone needs some time alone, but it's also good for us to spend time with other people. If you feel lonely, try volunteering. It's a good way of meeting new people, and you will feel good for helping others. One survey showed that 48 per cent of people who volunteered for more than two years said they felt less depressed as a result. If you do have close friends and family, try talking to them more about how you feel and asking them to support you. Every time someone speaks to someone else about mental illness, it helps to reduce the stigma.

What to do on World Mental Health Day

World Mental Health Day encourages us to be more aware of both our own mental health and other people's. As well as looking after yourself, think about how you could support other people. For example, you could find out more about common issues such as anxiety and depression, so you will understand friends' and colleagues' problems better. You could also encourage your workplace to start a wellness programme that would benefit everyone - they might offer free exercise classes or encourage employees to take walks at lunchtime. Companies with wellness programmes have found employees take 28 per cent less time off for sickness.

Anything you do on WMH Day, even just talking to people about it, will help us all to understand and support people better.

Source:

Discussion

Language level

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World Mental Health Day, on 10 October, is a day to raise awareness of the effects mental illness has on millions of people's lives across the world, and to help educate and inform us all.

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Imagine looking out of your window and seeing a painting by a famous artist in your garden! Watch the video to find out about an artwork by street-artist Banksy.

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Why I fell in love with Irish dancing

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Morgan Bullock is an African-American Irish dancer. Watch this video to find out about her story.

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Banksy’s latest mural is in my garden

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Imagine looking out of your window and seeing a painting by a famous artist in your garden! Watch the video to find out about an artwork by street-artist Banksy.

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Do you give your friends and family presents on special occasions? Watch this video to see how you can wrap gifts in an eco-friendly way.

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International Day of Happiness

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There’s more behind the International Day of Happiness than you might think. Find out more by reading the article and answering the questions.

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/video-zone/how-these-women-changed-science-forever

제목: How these women changed science forever

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Can eating fruit be bad for you?

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We usually think of fruit as a healthy food. But could it also have some negative effects?

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We usually think of fruit as a healthy food. But could it also have some negative effects?

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/video-zone/banksys-latest-mural-my-garden

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World Laughter Day

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Every year, on the first Sunday in May, World Laughter Day celebrates the positive effect that deep laughter can have on us all.

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Dr Llyr ap Cenydd is a computer scientist but he draws his inspiration from the natural sciences. 'I've always been fascinated how animation works in a game, how to bring characters to life. I couldn't decide whether to be a biologist or a computer scientist.'

His latest app is called Ocean Rift and it is the latest in a long line of animations which have been influenced by science. Disney animators, for instance, were encouraged to visit zoos or even bring animals into the studio, to help make their animations more lifelike. But Llyr believes his app takes realism to a new level. 'It's about making virtual life,' he explains. 'For example, in Ocean Rift the animals are not animated like in a Disney movie - it actually swims, it flicks its tail, opens its mouth, blinks.'

Challenges

Modelling the unique behaviour of each animal was no easy task. Small animals like eels swim past you, but larger ones such as dolphins look at you and you can see their eyes move around. For Llyr, the dolphin was the most challenging creature to recreate because when you enter their habitat, they swim right up to you. He says, 'you feel like they are invading your personal space as they are more than your arm's width close to you. What happens then? Do they stay back? How often do they come up to you? It depends on how friendly it is.'

The mobile format also presented a challenge. Ocean Rift has been released for Samsung's Gear VR, a virtual reality headset for smartphones. 'I am used to working with £2,000-£3,000 machines that drive everything,' he explains. 'The Gear VR runs off a smartphone and not only are they tiny computers, there's nowhere for the heat to go. You can't put a fan on one'. Without the processing power and cooling systems of powerful desktop computers, the app needed optimisation to make a mobile version possible.

New habitats

Samsung are releasing the Gear VR Innovator Edition in December and Llyr is already working on the next edition. 'It is divided into habitats, the dolphin habitat, whale one and so on and I will be adding more habitats.' And because he has done the hard work of making it work on a smartphone, when he transfers it back for bigger devices it can be more elaborate. 'It means I can have tens of thousands of fish all swimming around on the computer or on a PlayStation or whatever.'
If you're interested in science check out the British Council's science magazine called Cubed.

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A new app will allow you to experience swimming in the ocean with fish, sharks, underwater plants and sunken boats - in virtual reality.

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Beating stress

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Listen to Emily talking about the importance of managing her stress levels and the techniques she uses.

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20414 박정우기사

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Listen to Emily talking about the importance of managing her stress levels and the techniques she uses.

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Imogen Nunn died in Brighton on New Year's Day 2023

A nurse involved in the care of a deaf TikTok star has told an inquest into her death there is a "huge shortage" of British Sign Language (BSL) interpreters and she still sees people struggling.

Carmen Jones, a nurse involved in Imogen Nunn's care, said "it would be very difficult" for a deaf person to communicate the crisis they were in without an interpreter.

Ms Nunn, known as Immy, died in Brighton, East Sussex, on New Year's Day 2023 after taking a poisonous substance she had ordered online.

The 25-year-old, who was born deaf, raised awareness of hearing and mental health issues on her social media accounts, which attracted more than 780,000 followers.

On Tuesday, the inquest at West Sussex Coroner's Court in Horsham heard from Ms Jones, a nurse for the deaf adult community team (DACT) at South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust.

Communicating through a BSL interpreter, she said: "Even in my current job I still struggle to get interpreters for my role in my work and because I've seen deaf patients requiring access to mental health teams, I see that they are also struggling."

Just days before Ms Nunn's death, she received a check-in visit at her home from care professionals after sending a text message saying she had had an increase in suicidal thoughts.

No BSL interpreter was brought to the meeting as there was not enough time to arrange it, the court was told in March.

Ms Nunn's social media accounts attracted more than 780,000 followers

Consultant psychiatrist Simon Baker, who visited Ms Nunn on 29 December 2022 at her home, previously told the court he was "surprised" how well the meeting had gone.

The inquest into Ms Nunn's death was previously adjourned for two months because there were no BSL interpreters available to translate for two members of DACT.

"It's based around language, how can anyone understand another person if they don't share a language?" Ms Jones added.

Senior coroner Penelope Schofield's prevention of future deaths report regarding Ms Nunn's care also highlighted the lack of availability of BSL interpreters to support deaf patients being treated with mental health difficulties.

She said: "This was particularly apparent when mental health staff were seeking an interpreter at short notice for a patient who was in crisis.

"The lack of interpreters available has meant that urgent assessments are being carried out with no interpreters present."

The inquest continues on Wednesday.

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Deaf people still struggle, Brighton TikTok star's inquest hears

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The Brighton inquest into Imogen Nunn's death is continuing.

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/audio-zone/beating-stress

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제목: The rubber hand illusion

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Which information is more important to the human brain: what we see or what we feel? Watch a psychologist trying to answer this question with a simple demonstration.

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https://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/general-english/video-zone/rubber-hand-illusion

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Which information is more important to the human brain: what we see or what we feel? Watch a psychologist trying to answer this question with a simple demonstration.

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제목:Do you know what these phrases really mean?

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🎤 Do you know what these phrases REALLY mean? | World English Day

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It's amazing what you can build out of Lego. But ... an arm?! This video shows us that anything is possible ...

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As the internet and digital technology become a bigger part of our lives, more of our data becomes publicly accessible, leading to questions about privacy. So, how do we interact with the growing digital world without compromising the security of our information and our right to privacy?

Imagine that you want to learn a new language. You search 'Is German a difficult language?' on your phone. You click on a link and read an article with advice for learning German. There's a search function to find German courses, so you enter your city name. It asks you to activate location services to find courses near you. You click 'accept'. You then message a German friend to ask for her advice. When you look her up on social media, an advertisement for a book and an app called German for Beginners instantly pops up. Later the same day, while you're sending an email, you see an advert offering you a discount at a local language school. How did they know? The simple answer is online data. At all stages of your search, your devices, websites and applications were collecting data on your preferences and tracking your behaviour online. 'They' have been following you.

Who uses our data and why?

In the past, it was easy for people to keep track of their personal information. Like their possessions, people's information existed mostly in physical form: on paper, kept in a folder, locked in a cupboard or an office. Today, our personal information can be collected and stored online, and it's accessible to more people than ever before. Many of us share our physical location, our travel plans, our political opinions, our shopping interests and our family photos online - as key services like ordering a takeaway meal, booking a plane, taking part in a poll or buying new clothes now take place online and require us to give out our data.

Every search you make, service you use, message you send and item you buy is part of your 'digital footprint'. Companies and online platforms use this 'footprint' to track exactly what we are doing, from what links we click on to how much time we spend on a website. Based on your online activity, they can guess what you are interested in and what things you might want to buy. Knowing so much about you gives online platforms and companies a lot of power and a lot of money. By selling your data or providing targeted content, companies can turn your online activity into profit. This is the foundation of the growing industry of digital marketing.

Can you protect your data?

Yes ... and no!

Some of the time our personal data is shared online with our consent. We post our birthday, our photographs and even our opinions online on social media. We know that this information is publicly accessible. However, our data often travels further than we realise, and can be used in ways that we did not intend. Certain news scandals about data breaches, where personal data has been lost, leaked or shared without consent, have recently made people much more aware of the potential dangers of sharing information online.

So, can we do anything to protect our data? Or should we just accept that in fact nothing is 'free' and sharing our data is the price we have to pay for using many online services? As people are increasingly aware of and worried about data protection, governments and organisations are taking a more active role in protecting privacy. For example, the European Union passed the General Data Protection Law, which regulates how personal information is collected online. However, there is still much work to be done.

As internet users, we should all have a say in how our data is used. It is important that we pay more attention to how data is acquired, where it is stored and how it is used. As the ways in which we use the internet continue to grow and change, we will need to stay informed and keep demanding new laws and regulations, and better information about how to protect ourselves. Safer Internet Day is an ideal time to find out more about this topic.
https://www.saferinternetday.org/
Discussion

Language level

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On Safer Internet Day let's take a closer look at who uses our online data, what it's used for and what we can do to protect it.

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기사: marathon running

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Listen to Lluís talking about running and what happened when he ran the Barcelona marathon.

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Living in London

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Listen to Luke talking about London life and the best and worst things about living there.

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Listen to Lluís talking about running and what happened when he ran the Barcelona marathon.

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What role does technology play in your life? Watch the video to hear people discussing this question.